“Winter of ICE” Poetry Reading at Blue Heron

Tuesday | June 2 | 7 PM
Blue Heron Coffeehouse
162 W 2nd St | Winona, MN

First Tuesday, the Laureate Writers Series, will host nine Minnesota poets who will read selections from “Winter of ICE 2025-2026′” volume 10 of Lost Lake Folk Opera, the literary magazine published by Shipwreckt Books, of Winona. The emcee for the event will be Tom Driscoll, publisher and editor of the 190-page anthology. The event will take place at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse on Tuesday June 2, 2025 at 7pm. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE NOT BE AN OPEN MIC BECAUSE OF TIME CONSTRAINTS BUT WE WILL RESUME THE OPEN MIC AT OUR JULY SESSION.
This issue is dedicated to Renee Good, poet & mother, murdered on January 7, 2026, and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the VA Hospital, murdered on January 24, 29026, both by Federal agents in South Minneapolis. The chaos of the ICE winter has dissipated. Everyone has had a chance to inhale this magnificent spring. The optimism that went into more than a year of compiling fifty-nine artists and poets holds true–we are engaged in a non-violent literary struggle to preserve our Democratic Republic.
Readers for this event are Marty Junge, Larry Gavin, Dougie Padilla, Julie Martin, D>F> Green, Becky Bolling, Rob Hardy & Ken McCullough.
Our sponsors are Blue Heron Coffeehouse, Chapter 2 Books, Friends of the Winona Public Library, Richard & Sara Ricker, Joseph & Penny Duffy, Laurie Lucas, and the Great River Review.

Ken McCullough is a member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.